I Like Big Books And I Cannot Lie

My Weekend is Booked
Check Yo Shelf Before You Wreck Yo Shelf
Sorry, My Books Make Me a Little Shelf-ish
This Weekend is Gonna Be Lit-erary
Prose Before Bros

It started when I stopped.
After working from home for two years (writing social media posts for a real estate company), I was itching to do something new. My work was great for a while, but I felt burned out. I'm searching for a new job, trying to find the balance between something fun and exciting and something challenging. 

But in the meantime, I read. 
Let me rephrase that. 
I read a lot.

When my brother and sister-in-law came to visit with their daughter, my niece, I noticed my sister-in-law reading a book on our couch. Maybe it was then. 

But we had signed up for library cards months ago. Why did we fill out library card applications immediately after we moved to a new city? Maybe it was then. 

At the beginning of the new year, I wanted to "read more books," just like the year before and the year before that. Maybe it was then. 

Whenever it was, reading crept back into my life this year. And I'm not sure why I love it. 

Probably because of my Goodreads account (there's some kind of rush I get after adding a book to my "Read" list and watching the numbers increase). 

Or probably because I can run away from my true emotions or trials, which is what my mother thinks I'm doing. My books are my escape. 

Reading is my time filler, the way I see it. I'm job hunting, trying to stay productive at home, and if my husband comes home at the end of a 13-hour workday and asks me how my day was, I don't want to say, "It was good. I walked around Target . . . I looked for more jobs. I did a load of laundry."

Those are all fine. But maybe reading gives me something to hold up to him, some way to prove myself: "I finished another book today!" Maybe it's my excuse—I didn't do anything amazing today, dear, but I read all about the Wright brothers and a Brave New World? 

I'm sure there's room for psychoanalysis here—my worth is not attached to books, my contributions are important on their own (something I read about from "The Art of Possibility" on being a contribution). 

Be it passion, productivity, escape, or excuse, books are a challenge, a reminder of why I love writing at all. 

Words are all I have.

38 BOOKS IN 42 DAYS
1. East of Eden**
Published in 1952, this book is 500+ pages and has more of a "classic" feel. I loved the storytelling and writing, but some may find it not-their-average "fun" read. East of Eden brings to life the intricate details of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, and their interwoven stories. 

2. Daring Greatly
I heard about author Brene Brown from almost everyone, who thought she was inspiring and these books were amazing. But this didn't do anything for me! It's a self-help type book about being vulnerable when everyone seems to be confident.

3. Fahrenheit 451**
Great classic book! Loved this one a lot, I have some other Ray Bradbury books on my list now. This book focuses on a fireman named Montag and his struggle with what he's known his whole life vs. what he really feels. And book burning.

4. When Breath Becomes Air ** 
Beautiful, touching, sometimes medical book that I LOVED. This is a non-fiction autobiographical book written by Paul Kalanithi. It is a memoir about his life and illness, battling stage IV metastatic lung cancer.

5. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
If you want to learn about black holes, distant stars, and planets in a very textbook, technical way, read this! I thought it'd be more reflection and conversation, but it's a lot of science and stars, but it was pretty cool. 

6. David and Goliath*
Malcolm Gladwell writes using stories, so this book is full of real-life anecdotes and examples of how the "little guy" (David) can overcome Goliath moments in our life. I enjoyed it and liked reading about the way disadvantages can be real advantages.

7. The Kite Runner**
Didn't know what to expect from this classic, I knew some people had been required to read during high school, but I really loved it. The book starts in Afghanistan, travels to San Francisco Bay Area, and ends back where it started. A story of two boys growing up, facing war, fleeing, family moments, secrets, etc. 

8. The History of Love*
This book went back and forth between two characters, old man named Leo and a 15-year-old girl named Alma. Their lives intertwine through a book that was written, this book becomes central to the story and connects the two. There's a classic Pinterest line about "a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering," and I didn't know it came from this book!

9. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time**
Loved the writing, the perspective of a young boy taking on the world. mathematically gifted boy of fifteen with Asperger's syndrome, sees a dog lying on the grass in front of his neighbor's house with a fork sticking out of it

10. The Wright Brothers*
Great biography of the brothers, the airplanes, their failures and successes. The second half of the book was more interesting, so if you can get through the history at the beginning, it's worth it to read about their flights, the public's reaction, and more. 

11. The Library at Mount Char
Weirdest book I've ever read. Definitely scifi/horror/action/humor? It's about these gifted/magical siblings (12 of them) who have a "Father" and he lives in the "Library." But they live on Earth disguised as regular people, and they're all gifted in a certain area i.e. one boy is a master of War, one girl is a master of Animals, she's a master of Languages, etc. As weird as it was, it was interesting, crude, and weird again.

12. All The Light We Cannot See**
This is an example of a book done right. READ IT. This was easy to read because each chapter is told from the other character's perspective.  From Google: This is about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

13. When You Are Engulfed in Flames*
14. Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls*
These two books are David Sedaris memoirs, and I just happen to love him as an author, so I try to read his stuff. He's a humorist, satirist, writer, gay man with an observational wit. I first discovered him on This American Life podcast, but his funny and real stories about life are told in a hilarious, honest way. You have to hear his voice before you read his books so you can picture his voice in your head while you read. 

15. The Secret Life of Bees**
Heartwarming, Southern charm story about a young girl who runs away from home and finds refuge at a beekeeper's home in South Carolina. Three adult sisters live in the home together, they're black and the young girl is white, so the book is about her family roots, living with them, learning about the Virgin Mary and new ways of life, love, etc. 

16. The Lottery & Other Short Stories*
This was a collection of short stories from 1949, told with a dark twist in each one. Overall it was an interesting book and I liked the stories. The author finds a way to weave in a man named James Harris in each of her stories, and those stories include lessons on racism, love, madness, judgment, and more. Definitely weird, but after reading the whole book you get a bigger picture of it all. Twilight-zone-esque. 

17. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness*
A true story of a journalist who went "crazy" and had no idea why. She talks about her paranoia, hallucinations, and how she was admitted to the hospital and what happened. I had never heard something like this before so I was interested in her story. 

18. Beartown*
A small hockey-obsessed town prepares for the junior finals, and this story is about the team manager, a star player, and a girl who speaks her truth on the day of the game. She confesses something (rape) that launches the whole town into a downward spiral of accusations, threats, etc. I had no idea it would go in this direction, but it was surprisingly wonderful.

19. A Thousand Splendid Suns**
By the same author of Kite Runner, this book tells a similar story in Afghanistan, war, etc., but focuses on women. A small girl goes to live with her wealthy father after her mother dies, but her father and his 3 wives don't want her, so they marry her off. The second half of the book is about a young girl and her childhood friend/crush, and how war separates them, kills her family, and how she becomes the second wife to the first girl's husband. They have to overcome his temper, child loss, the war and the strict rules against women, etc. 

20. I Let You Go*
This was a quick read, not amazing but definitely interesting. A mother and her son are walking home when the boy gets killed by a hit-and-run driver. The story focuses on a woman, named Jenna, who disappears and lives in a small home by the beach, falls in love with a guy, is running from her past. There's an obvious twist in the book, but I still enjoyed it. 

21. The Glass Castle**
I LOVE THIS and can't recommend it enough. This is a memoir, a collection of true stories about Jeannette Walls and her growing up. Her family was dirt poor and moved every month to avoid paying rent. She and her siblings had to get jobs, save money, hide said money from their drunk father, and ride in the darkness of a UHaul truck since they couldn't sit up front. Crazy stories about her life and how her dad tried to keep them together by promising to build a "Glass Castle" for them. 

22. Looking for Alaska
John Green wrote "The Fault in Our Stars," and I heard a lot of people liked this book, so I gave it a try. It was a cool story, good characters, but the problem I have with these books is I can never buy into it. The characters are too spunky, too best-friend-y, too over the top for me. This is about a boy going to his first year of college, making friends, breaking rules, a girl named Alaska, tragedy, comedy, etc. Wasn't amazing but some people really like it. 

23. The Book of Formation
This book is mostly told through interviews. A futuristic world has a celebrity named Mayah (like Oprah status), and she is the leader of the "Personality Movement," the idea that you can become a totally new person and change your entire life. The journalist mostly interview Mayah's son, Masha, who undergoes a "turn" during the book. The beginning is hard to follow (done on purpose), but it's a weird, cool look into a possible future of personality changing. Nothing crazy happens, people undergo turns, but I thought it was sort of cool. 

24. A Monster Calls*
Quick read, 200 pages with lots of illustrations. Found in the Young Adult section of the library. A great story about a boy who encounters a large monster outside his house each night. The monster tells him stories and teaches him lessons to help the boy cope with his mother's cancer. 

25. Sold**
Read this in a day! This is about a nine-year-old girl who gets sold (get it), and ends up in a whore house, she naively tries to work off her debt, learns that her debt will take forever to be paid off, she makes some friends in the house and knows she won't see her family again. Soon an American comes in and hands her a card to call if she's in trouble, she tries to find a way out....I'll leave it at that

26. The Art of Possibility*
Great self-help/leadership book written by a psychologist and the conductor for the Boston Philharmonic. Each chapter is a different adage with a lesson attached, like "you can lead from any chair," "everything in life is invented," "give everyone an A grade right from the beginning," and so on. Made me rethink my self worth and would be great for a team or anyone wanting to see the world in a new way.

27. Eleanor & Park**
CUTE STORY. Made me feel all the things. Definitely your typical quirky-boy-meets-new-girl story, but the characters are so different and each chapter switches off between the characters. The girl comes from a battered family, the boy lives down the street and has anything he needs, and they are BF/GF and help each other.

28. The Night Circus**
Cool book! It's a magical/weird type story about a circus that pops up in random places unexpectedly, and two magicians who pick a contender to one day have a "challenge." This story follows those two as they work on their powers and work in the circus. The Night Circus is magical, has tons of different tents, colorful imagery, and it was cool to dive into the circus and lose myself.

29. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes**
A true reflection on life in a funeral home/crematory and how one woman found a job there, cremated people, and found interest in the death industry. There are some graphic descriptions and it's not for the faint of heart—she talks about death, human bodies, etc. 

29. The Unbearable Lightness of Being
This was an all-over-the-place story about Tomas, Tereza, him sleeping around, an affair with a woman named Sabina, a dog named Karenin, a man named Franz who also had an affair with Sabina, sort of life, love, affairs, sex, and holding onto the weight (or lightness) of living life. It had some good quotes and wasn't totally boring, but it was random and I probably wouldn't read again.

30. Blink*
Another Malcolm Gladwell book about the gut feelings and impressions we make in 3 seconds. Lots of stories, examples, facts, but it was interesting to see how if we had a year to make a decision, we'd make a similar decision if we only had seconds. It's about the choices we make and how we make them.

31. Brave New World**
Another classic, futuristic story about reproducing, rejecting monogamy, and a utopia community where people take pills to stay happy. Two of those people travel to the SouthWest and encounter a tribe of native people who still live in families and have children "the original way." They bring back a savage named John, who is introduced to this new world and copes with the life he sees. He eventually exiles himself and cannot deal with his "fame" and with this new world he's in.

32. Hillbilly Elegy*
I started listening to the podcast but couldn't focus, so I read the book instead. This is a memoir of J.D. Vance's life growing up in the MidWest, in white hillbilly country, and his exploration of that minority and way of life. He includes lots of details about his family, the path he took to become a lawyer, poverty, etc. It wasn't the most amazing book, but it was a great look at a side I had never thought about before and what it takes to succeed. 

33. Wonder**
A beautiful, honest book about a boy with a face deformity who starts middle school. It's all about him trying to make friends, stepping outside his comfort zone, dealing with bullies, self esteem, and friendships. The story is split up in sections, each told by a different character in the book.

34. Station Eleven*
The story begins with a man performing King Lear, who dies onstage, and the epidemic of an unknown disease that wipes out most of the Earth. Years into the future, a group of traveling actors who perform Shakespeare wander the country, which has been torn apart in a dystopian future. They are trying to make it to an airplane hangar, where people are safe, and they have to watch out for a crazy cult leader who has a small community with him. This cult leader wants to marry women and thinks he was sent to cleanse the Earth, and there's a bit of violence, survival, and flashbacks. 

35. Before the Fall**
A private jet carrying 12 passengers on a quick, 30-minute flight plummets into the ocean leaving all but two of them dead. The survivors are a 40-something painter and a 4-year-old boy. The first 80 pages are about the crash, how the painter swam to shore, their hospital visit, etc. The rest of the book looks back at the characters, how they got onto the plane, their business scandals, etc. The "hero" painter gets media attention and tries to visit the young boy, who now lives with his aunt and uncle. I really liked it. 

36. Catch 22
A super weird, difficult book to read, with pockets of humor, satire, irony, etc. I heard it was a classic, so I decided to read it. By the end of it, the book is enjoyable, but maybe that's because I was proud of my self for reading it. Most of the time I wanted it to be over, but some stories captivated me and some parts even had me laughing, just from the writing style and crazy dark humor and irony.

37. I Know This Much is True**
A 900+ page book (yup) that I LOVED. It's a story of identical twins, one who has schizophrenia and cuts off his hand in a library for God. The other is a middle-aged painter, divorced, who wants to get his brother out of a prison facility. The brother attends therapy sessions, exploring his childhood, trying to trace the moment when his brother became "crazy." I read it in 2 or 3 days, the writing was easy to follow, it's a story that made me feel for everyone involved. 

38. One Hundred Years of Solitude 
This was another "classic" that I wanted to say I've read, and it was difficult. The front of the book has a family tree graphic to show you who's who, and I had to refer to it multiple times, mostly because the characters are all named the same, done on purpose. It's the story of the Buendia family in a small town they founded and basically the various ways they live, die, and love. Lots of war, love affairs, tragedies, etc. Many people love this book, and a good many can't finish it. 

*books I enjoyed
**books I highly enjoyed


I'm not sure how fast I was breezing through Mercer Mayer or Dr. Seuss when I was a kid, but I've read more books this year than I have in my other 23 years combined.

And I'm not done yet. 










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